Alliances Created
by Horsetamer5
Summary: AU. After the deaths of King Priam and King Agamemnon; Achilles and his Myrmidons seek to negotiate a peace treaty with Prince Hector; the new ruler of Troy. However, dark forces attempt to disrupt their success by targeting the Myrmidons most vulnerable member. No slash.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N A special thank you to Bluebirdheart for allowing me to use one of their OC's!**

 **I own nothing.**

17-year-old Patroclus maintained a white-knuckled grip on his cousin's hand as they walked through the streets of Troy, towards the palace. His eyes roamed warily around him, although he was in the company of the finest warriors in Greece, as well as their leader, he couldn't shake the nagging fear that sat in the pit of his stomach. Witnessing his father kill his mother at a young age had left Patroclus with severe emotional scars, and as a result, he was extremely codependent on his cousin Achilles. The crowded streets of Troy were noisy and crowded which only served to heighten his anxiety.

They were here to negotiate a treaty with prince Hector. After Agamemnon was killed in battle, Achilles and Odysseus were appointed as the leaders of the army, and they used the position as a tool to negotiate for peace between the two kingdoms. Achilles and his men would agree to ally themselves with Hector's army in exchange for an end to the fighting. They would go home to Phitia, but they would continue to assist the Trojan army in any time of conflict. Put simply all three kingdoms would support each other in a mutual use and defense of the Aegean sea.

Achilles glanced down at his cousin and moved his arm to wrap securely around the boy's shoulders.

"You're alright, Cub," he assured, "No one will hurt you here, I promise."

"I don't like it here," Patroclus responded, his voice tremulous. "Too many people. I want to go home." His breathing began to speed up as he pulled against Achilles' hold looking frantically around him for an escape. These were all signs that he was on the verge of a massive panic attack.

Taren, Achilles' trainee commander and a mentor to Patroclus, moved to their side and knelt in front of the teen, taking a firm grip on his armored shoulders. Achilles signaled for the Eudorus to lead the rest of their men to the palace while he dealt with the situation.

"Patroclus, hey, look at me. I need you to look at me, lad," Taren commanded. After a long pause, Patroclus obeyed.

"You're perfectly safe," Taren continued firmly, clearly used to dealing with this sort of issue. "You've got me, Achilles, and twenty other lions looking out for you. I know there are a lot of people, and you don't like it, but we're only here for two days, and then we get to go home."

"I have to join the rest of the men, but you can go with Taren and take a walk," Achilles suggested, as he took Patroclus into his arms and kissed the top of his head. "I'll come to find you when I'm finished."

The teen nodded in agreement and Achilles held him a bit longer before turning to his trusted subordinate and handing him a flask of water as well as a pouch of ground up valerian. "Try and get Patroclus to drink some water, it'll help him to stop hyperventilating but if he doesn't settle, give him a small amount of the sedative. It's not ideal, but it calms him down pretty quick."

Taren nodded in understanding before drawing Patroclus close to his side in a one-armed embrace. "Why don't we go find somewhere more secluded and see if that helps you calm down?" he suggested to the distraught teen.

* * *

"Zeus, kid!" Taren exclaimed as he caught sight of a scabbed over wound on Patroclus' leg. The wound stretched down from below the teen's kneecap and disappeared under the greave encasing his right shin. "How in the world did you get that?!"

"Remember when we had that really hot day last week?" Patroclus asked.

Taren nodded, not liking where his student's story was going.

 _"Are you sure we should be doing this?" Antilochus asked as they climbed the gangplank to the ship. "If Achilles catches us we're screwed. Me especially since I'm supposed to be looking after you."_

 _"We'll be fine," Patroclus assured as he walked to the edge of the stern of the vessel. "We'll just jump off once. Just to say we did it. Just once, I promise."_

 _As it usually did, 'one time' of jumping off the stern turned into many. The young warriors were thoroughly enjoying themselves, and all was well. That was until Patroclus became more brazen and attempting a running leap into the sea. The 17-year-old was so focused on his target that he paid no mind to a slick spot on the deck. Before he registered what had occurred, he was over the side of the ship and in the shallows of the sea. At first, Patroclus' body was numb with shock, but it quickly dissipated, and he felt his right leg stinging fiercely._

 _Antilochus was at his side in seconds, helping him to limp out of the water and guiding him to sit on washed up driftwood log before shouting for Eudorus._

 _"I'm not sure how deep or large the wound is," Eudorus sighed. "It needs to be treated and cleaned up though. I'll send for Achilles."_

"Achilles bandaged it up and made me rest after that. I took the fall for coming up with the stupid idea. Achilles wasn't very happy with me, but at least Antilochus didn't get in trouble.

"Children the both of you," Taren teased, drawing Patroclus into a one-armed embrace. "I should have you boys training with my newbies since you have so much extra energy to expend."

"Noo," Patroclus whined dramatically. "I for one am an adult now. I'm of age, Achilles said so!"

"You may be of age, but you still have much to learn young lord," Taren responded with a smile. "Now what do you say we try and rest. It's not every day that we get permission to skip out on official business. Best enjoy it while we can, eh?"


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N A special thank you to Bluebirdheart for allowing me to use one of their OC's!**

 **I own nothing.**

"You must be Patroclus," Hector said as he approached the wary teen clinging to Achilles' side. "It is nice to meet you finally. Your cousin has told me quite a bit about you. I hear you are quite a good warrior and horse rider."

"Thank you, sir," the 17-year-old responded quietly as he actively avoided all eye contact with Troy's new ruler.

"I also hear from my cousin, Briseis, that you are quite adventurous," Hector continued, unfazed by the young Myrmidon's trepidation, gesturing for the two men to sit with him. "I have a brother your age who is a lot like you. As a result, I happen to know some areas just inland from here that are perfect for exploring." That got Patroclus' attention, and Achilles watched with a smile as Hector quickly broke through the teen's shell with stories of his youthful exploits.

Hours later, the noise of the celebration was winding down, and Patroclus was leaning heavily against his cousin's armored side, absently listening as the Myrmidon leader and the Trojan prince talked over mundane political matters. Every so often, the teen's eyes would drift shut, and he would drift off for a bit before jerking awake.

"Alright Cub, I think it's time you got to bed," Achilles commented as Patroclus jerked awake for the sixth time.

"I can get him dressed and settled for bed if you would like," Briseis offered from her place next to Hector.

"Nooo," Patroclus whined, his speech slurring " 'm an adult, I c'n stay awake."

"Son, most of our men, have retired already and I will as well as soon as Hector and I finish our conversation," Achilles responded. "Now, I want you to go with Briseis and Taren. They'll help you get settled in our quarters, and I will be in soon. Don't give them any trouble."

" 'Kay," Patroclus agreed as he allowed Taren to help him stand. "I'll be good, promise."

* * *

"Thank you for all of your help," Taren said with an appreciative smile.

"It was no trouble at all," Briseis responded. "I can stay with him until Achilles returns if you want to retire."

"Nah, it's fine. I've got my second in command looking after our newbies, so I've got no problem staying with this one."

"If you're sure, goodnight then," she bid Taren with a smile before walking over to her back place a maternal kiss on Patroclus' temple. The teen stirred but did not wake as she headed out of the room.

Taren took up his place at the side of the bed and gently stroked a hand down the teenager's back, patting his hip in a soothing rhythm to help keep him settled.

Achilles entered the room less than an hour later, giving his thanks to Taren before he set about preparing for bed. He kept his movements efficient and deliberate so as not to wake Patroclus. However, the moment Achilles sat on the edge of the bed, the teen awoke and stared at his guardian with bleary eyes.

"Just me, cub," Achilles assured, reaching over to stroke the child's forehead.

Patroclus just continued giving his cousin a piercing stare.

Achilles gave a knowing smile as he lay down, opening his arms so his ward could settle against his chest.

He ran a hand through Patroclus' hair as he quietly began to sing a lullaby under his breath.

 _Gafflwn Dihenydd_

 _O'r Fuddugol wiriol sydd_

 _Ni fydd neb yn ein drechu_

 _Falch ydy ni i drochu_

 _Draed o'r flaen i'r Annwn_

 _Mewn y gwybodaeth fe godwn ni._

Patroclus let out a content noise at the chosen song. It was a song that told of battles past and glories of old. For some reason, it always seemed to solidify his sense of safety whenever Achilles sang it to him.

 _Gafflwn Dihenydd_

 _O'r Fuddugol wiriol sydd_

 _Ni fydd neb yn ein drechu_

 _Falch ydy ni i drochu_

 _Draed o'r flaen i'r Annwn_

 _Mewn y gwybodaeth fe godwn ni._

 _Gafflwn Dihenydd_

 _O'r Fuddugol wiriol sydd_

 _Ni fydd neb yn ein drechu_

 _Falch ydy ni i drochu_

 _Draed o'r flaen i'r Annwn_

 _Mewn y gwybodaeth fe godwn ni_

 _Ni fydd neb yn ein drechu_

 _Falch ydy ni i drochu_

 _Draed o'r flaen i'r Annwn_

 _Mewn y gwybodaeth fe godwn ni_

The song trailed off quietly into the night as the two warriors settled into a restful sleep.

English Translation: Lament -Light of Aidan-

We cheat death

From his rightful victory

No one can overcome us

We are glad to plunge

Feet first into Annwn

In the knowledge, we will rise.

We cheat death

From his rightful victory

No one can overcome us

We are glad to plunge

Feet first into Annwn

In the knowledge, we will rise.

We cheat death

From his rightful victory

No one can overcome us

We are glad to plunge

Feet first into Annwn

In the knowledge, we will rise.

No one can overcome us

We are glad to plunge

Feet first into Annwn

In the knowledge, we will rise.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N A special thank you to Bluebirdheart for allowing me to use one of their OC's!**

 **I own nothing.**

Taren and Antilochus smiled as they watched Patroclus bound down the halls of the palace. They had just finished their morning meal with Achilles when Patroclus asked if he could go exploring in the hills with Antilochus for the day. After much assurance from Prince Hector that the inland of Troy was perfectly safe Achilles agreed. Knowing that for all of his talk of being a fully-fledged warrior; Patroclus was still a hyperactive teen who found political meetings to be incredibly dull.

As the Myrmidon's trainee commander, Taren agreed to go with the youngsters for the day to ensure that they stayed out of trouble so their leader could devote his entire focus to the creation of the peace treaty.

"Lad, if you could stay in my line of sight, that would be greatly appreciated!" Taren called as Patroclus started to round a corner. The teen stopped and waited for the two older men to catch up.

"We need to stop by my quarters so I can grab my sword belt and then we can go," Taren said as he placed a hand on Patroclus' shoulder to still his excited bouncing. The boy was anything but composed; another reason Taren was so fond of him.

"By the way, did you take your meds this morning?" he asked as an afterthought.

Patroclus nodded quickly.

"Okay, that response was much too quick for my liking," Taren muttered, "It looks like we have two stops to make."

"You do realize that both of us have known you since you were about four years old, right kid?" Antilochus teased. "If you're gonna lie, at least make an effort to be convincing about it."

The boys continued to exchange playful banter as they headed out of the palace, oblivious to the danger that awaited them.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N A special thank you to Bluebirdheart for allowing me to use one of their OC's!**

 **I own nothing.**

Achilles watched sadly as Patroclus let out a feral growl and curled into the farthest corner of the room. The teen was sporting a split lip, multiple vicious bruises and what looked to be a broken wrist. He had been missing for the past twelve hours after he, Taren, and Antilochus were attacked in their way back to the palace. The two older warriors had put up a brave fight but were eventually overpowered. When they came to, Patroclus was gone.

Once informed of the situation, Hector summoned his elite Apollonian Guard to join the Myrmidons in scouring the inland hills for the missing boy. They even lit beacons on the hillside hoping that Patroclus had just bolted from the fray and gotten lost. The search lasted all night and just when all seemed lost, Hector rode back into the city with the boy cradled against his chest. The teen was hypothermic and dehydrated, but it was soon determined that he would live.

Patroclus hadn't said a word since his return, and he responded violently to any attempts to communicate or treat him. So far, Achilles, Hector, and Briseis were the only ones who were making progress in reaching him.

"It's just me, Cub," Achilles soothed, keeping his voice low and gentle as he knelt in front of the teen. "Whatever happened to you, it's over. You're safe now. I promise."

A spark of recognition came into Patroclus' eyes, and within seconds, he was in Achilles' arms; his legs wrapping around the older warrior's hips as his arms maintained a death grip about the man's shoulders.

"There now, shh, shh," Achilles murmured as he rocked the boy. "Everything's alright, little warrior. I've got you; you're safe."

"Are Taren and Antilochus okay? You're not mad at us are you?" Patroclus asked as his sobs tapered off into hiccups.

"They're just fine, Cub," Achilles responded. "I am not angry with any of you. You three were victims of a brazen ambush, that is a difficult situation for even the best of warriors. But for now, we just need to focus on getting you fixed up."

"It will just be the four of us in here," Hector assured as he caught the trepidation in the youth's eyes. "Briseis and I are both trained healers; we will conduct this entirely in your terms. If you tell us to stop, we will. No arguments, you have my word."

Patroclus agreed and allowed Achilles to help him get settled on the bed, crying out in agony before curling up with his arms wrapped around his middle. It soon became apparent that having Patroclus sedated would be the only way to effectively assess and treat him.

* * *

Hector let out a gasp as he lifted the child's tunic. The whole of Patroclus' stomach was a mess of ugly bruises and welts. It looked as if someone had taken a whip to him. Frankly, Hector was shocked that the teen didn't have any broken ribs or internal damage.

"He has deep bruising on his wrists," Achilles commented, drawing Hector's attention.

"Ligature wounds," the Trojan ruler affirmed, sadly. "Your boy certainly put up one hell of a fight. His wrists are raw, and I'm willing to bet that he broke his right one struggling to get away."

"Who could do something like this? Who is heartless enough to abuse a boy who is barely of age?" Achilles asked, his voice quivering with barely suppressed rage.

"I don't know, my friend. But you have my word that we will find who did this," Hector promised as he quickly set and wrapped his patient's wrist. "But for now, we can thank the gods that Patroclus will make a full recovery. He may not be able to hold a sword for a few weeks, but he will be as healthy as ever in no time. He needs to rest so I will dose him with another sedative. I warn you that when he does wake, he will most likely be disoriented and he may lash out. My advice is to just be there for him and try to calm him down," Hector instructed. "I don't want him moving that wrist too much so if you cannot calm him, send for me and I will come and sedate him. With your permission, I will post guards outside in case you need anything. I'll be by this evening to check his breathing and make sure his chest sounds clear."

Achilles only nodded in response, his gaze and posture conveying his gratitude.

After changing out of his armor, Achilles climbed onto the bed, and with practiced ease, he guided his sleeping cousin to rest against his chest. The Myrmidon lord lay with his eyes closed, listening to the distant crash of the ocean; reveling in the fact that the child he viewed as a son was now safely back in his arms.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N A special thank you to Bluebirdheart for allowing me to use one of their OC's!**

 **I own nothing.**

"How is our young lord today?" Taren asked Achilles he entered the room. He would be spending the day watching over Patroclus while Achilles met with Hector.

"As well as can be expected," Achilles sighed as he laced up his greaves. "He slept on and off for most of the night. The pain was getting to him, and eventually, the sedative stopped working. I'll have to ask Hector for an alternative drug."

"What do you require from me aside from keeping vigil over the lad today m'lord?" Taren asked.

"I require nothing else except that you try your best to keep him calm and give him his painkillers to ward off discomfort," Achilles instructed "If Patroclus feels up to it, you can send for Antilochus, I know they are both anxious to see one another. I'll be stuck in meetings all day, but if Patroclus becomes extremely unsettled, please don't hesitate to send for me."

"As you wish m'lord," Taren responded. "Good luck today."

Just as Taren guessed, Patroclus awoke with a groan less than an hour later.

"You're okay, lad," Taren assured as he caught the frantic look in the teen's eyes. "You're recovering back in Troy. You were beaten up pretty badly, but you're on the mend."

" 'verything hurts," Patroclus whined, instinctively hugging his middle before letting go with a sob as his injuries were aggravated.

Taren was at his student's side in an instant, gently helping the younger man to sit up, holding a cup of painkillers to his lips, praising him softly as he drank.

"I don't wanna talk about it!" Patroclus sobbed, trying to escape his mentor's hold. "Please don't make me! Told me not to tell! Said they'd kill me!" It quickly became apparent that the young warrior had lost his sense of time and place, there was a distant but frantic look in his eyes as he continued to struggle.

"Easy Patroclus," Taren murmured as his restraining grip became stronger and he lifted the boy to sit across his lap. The red-haired Myrmidon kept a steady but firm hand on the side of his student's neck to keep Patroclus from slamming his head repeatedly as he was prone to do when in the throes of a traumatic flashback. "Just calm down lad, you're safe. No one is goin' ta hurt ya. I won't make you talk about anything that you don't want to." The words seemed to have no effect as his charge spiraled deeper into a panic. The youth's chest hitched with shallow breaths and his lips had taken on a blue tinge, signaling that his lungs were desperately fighting for oxygen. He was dangerously close to passing out.

Taren sighed and lifted the teen who, much to his concern, weighed close to nothing, into his arms. He walked over and sat on the windowsill, settling Patroclus on his lap again as he rubbed a soothing hand over chest, encouraging the teen to breathe.

Eventually Patroclus cried himself into exhaustion and lay with his head against his mentor's chest as Taren continued to speak softly to him.

Eventually, the exhaustion of the morning hit Patroclus with full force, pulling him into a restless slumber.

Taren smiled grimly as he lifted his charge into his arms again and walked over to the chair that he had occupied before Patroclus' night terror.

The rest of the day passed without much of an issue. Patroclus woke up in a much more settled mood. Antilochus came by in the afternoon which seemed to lift the teen's spirits. Later that evening, Achilles returned with Hector. After checking the teen over and listening to his lungs, the Trojan ruler declared that Patroclus was out of danger of contracting pneumonia and that he was indeed on the mend.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N A special thank you to Bluebirdheart for allowing me to use one of their OC's!**

 **I own nothing.**

"I can't do this anymore!" Patroclus blurted out from his place on the bed, causing Achilles to startle and drop the sword that he was sharpening.

"You can't do what anymore, Cub?" he asked, moving to sit next to the troubled teen and drawing him into a protective embrace.

"I can't keep it a secret anymore. I keep seeing them in my dreams! I want them to go away!" The teen responded, his voice breaking as he tried to contain his sobs.

"Son, do you know the men who hurt you?" Achilles asked carefully. As much as he wanted to find those who had abused his cousin and bring them to justice; He had agreed not to press for answers and wait for Patroclus to relay the incident of his own accord.

Patroclus nodded, and Achilles forced himself to mask his anger and school an encouraging look into his eyes.

"Aphareus and Haemon," Patroclus answered referring to Agamemnon's most loyal captains. "They knocked me out, and when I woke up, I was back in the Greek camp. They tied me up, and then they took a bullwhip and tied knots in it. They hit me over and over again, then they-" the story was cut short as the boy's tears won over and his body shook with gut-wrenching sobs.

Achilles struggled to rein in his rage; it would only serve to scare his charge right now. He adjusted his hold on the teen and shifted so that they were both lying down. He'd done this enough times with his precious cousin that the routine had become intimately familiar. All the demigod could do was hold Patroclus and murmur quiet assurances of love and safety until the boy calmed of his own accord. Sometimes it took minutes, other times, such as tonight, it took hours.

Eventually, Patroclus' sobs tapered off into silent tears before his breathing evened into the steady rhythm of slumber.

Achilles smiled sadly at the teen as he stood up and grabbed a wet cloth to clean the tear tracks from his charges face as well as a jar of salve to coat his still healing injuries.

Amazingly, Patroclus managed to sleep through his guardian's ministrations. Achilles was able, and he moved to take up his previous task of sharpening his sword. The sound of stone against metal and the steady breathing of his ward helping to calm him enough to plan his next move.


End file.
